College Catastrophe
by PikaSass
Summary: Ash and Misty are now attending Celadon University, studying different degrees. Having gone steady for two years, can the pressures of the grown-up world finally be unleashed upon our happy couple?


DISCLAIMER: Do you honestly think I own Pokemon? Well, no, I don't.  
  
A/N: Finally, PikaSass puts something up! Just a short AAML, as it said in the summary, but I haven't done one in a while so it might not be very good. Please review and tell me what you think!  
  
AGES:  
  
Ash - 20  
Misty - 20  
Brock - 23 (I am unsure of Brock's age in the show, sorry!)  
Sophie - 22  
  
It was a mild but sunny day in Celadon City as Misty Waterflower made her way to her morning classes at Celadon University. She was totally oblivious to the wistful yet hopeless glances of practically every guy she passed, but had she noticed them, she wouldn't have given them a second glance. It was known all over campus that Misty was taken. She had been for two years. And nearly every male who knew her was extremely jealous of Ash Ketchum.  
  
Through their ten years of knowing each other, the inevitable had happened to Ash and Misty - they had fallen in love. The confessions of these feelings had been ignited by the news of Ash being accepted into Celadon University with a full scholarship. The prospect of being forever seperated had finally got it out of them, and Ash had persuaded Misty to take a course in Marine Pokemon Biology, which she currently loved.  
  
She bounded up to her lecture room, her long hair which was as fiery as her temper could potentially get cascading down her back. Her fellow students were filing into the room, and she started to follow them in, when someone grabbed her arm and engulfed her in a familiar kiss before she even had time to think. But she knew who it was, and she was smiling when they pulled apart.  
  
"Ash, babe, I've missed you" Misty confessed, looking into his chocolate brown eyes.  
  
Ash grinned and held her close. "I missed ya more." Truth be told, they had actually seen each other two days ago. Still, to Ash and Misty, 48 hours was a long time to be apart.   
  
They stole a few more kisses before Misty absolutly insisted she had to get to class. Theyr regretfully pulled away with Ash insisting he would drop by her dorm that night.  
  
Misty was still grinning as she took notes, but found her grin dissolving as the professor announced that it was time for a major essay.  
  
Oh man, she had heaped too much onto her plate now. She had a busy schedule for the next couple of weeks, and she had thought she had finally found the perfect time to work around her job as a part-time sales assistant at the department store to take a trip home. And now this!  
  
She trudged back to her dorm with a heart that felt like a ton of bricks. In one sentance her social life had flown out the window. No more parties, no more excursions with Ash, no more fun lunches with Sophie, Brock's girlfriend who had quickly befriended Misty. These next couple of weeks would be about work, research, writing, and possibly sleep.  
  
Misty walked the short distance to the department store after changing. Her job paid well - slowly but surely her University fees were being paid off.  
  
"Hi Misty!" her boss, Janice, cheerily greeted her. Misty warily smiled back and make tracks for her area. "Misty, hold up!" Janice called out, and Misty turned to face her.  
  
"What's up, Janice?" she asked politly.  
  
A nervous smile came over Janice's face and Misty felt her heart increase its beats. "Misty, as you know, I've had to lay off a few people..."  
  
"Oh no, you can't fire me!" Misty found herself exclaiming.  
  
Janice laughed. "No dear, I'd hate to see you go! I was just wondering...how would you feel about doing a little overtime? With the reduction in staff we'll need all the help we can get until permanant replacements are sorted."  
  
Misty inwardly groaned. How would she cope with an increased workload at both Uni and work? But she found herself saying yes to the woman who had employed her and who was now financially helping her through Uni.  
  
All afternoon Misty thought about the essay, and found herself walking to the University library to make a start on it. She was deeply involved in a heavy book when her cellphone suddenly rang. She cringed at the furious faces of other students and walked outside to answer it.  
  
"Where are you?" Ash immediatly inquired.  
  
Misty sighed. Why did he have to know where she was every minute of the day? "The library. I've got a huge essay..."  
  
"Another one?" Ash inquired.  
  
"Yeah. Plus I've been given longer hours at work, so I really have to start this now while I've got time" Misty explained.  
  
"Mist, you work too hard. You really need a break. I never see you anymore" Ash complained.  
  
"This degree is harder than either of us expected. Why is yours such a breeze?" Misty asked rhetorically.  
  
"C'mon, let's just go away for a week or something, just a quick break" Ash suggested.  
  
"I really can't Ash, I'll fall behind. I won't even be able to go home like I planned to" Misty said sadly.  
  
Ash scowled. "It seems you always have an essay or something that pops up inconveniantly" he said bitterly.  
  
"Ash please, do you think I enjoy these essays? Surely you hate the ones you get" Misty pointed out.  
  
"Quit your job!" Ash unexpectedly exclaimed.  
  
Misty gasped. "Ash, that job is getting me through Uni, and only barely at that. You can't expect me to drop everything just for you!" she yelled, becoming angrier. "It's easy for you to tell me to quit my job, you're the one on a scholarship here! You're on the easy road Ash, but I actually have to work before I achieve. I know that seems a bit of an alien concept to you..."  
  
"Are you suggesting that I'm lazy?" Ash demanded.  
  
"Not necessarily lazy, maybe just selfish" Misty hissed.  
  
Ash went quiet but the tension was undeniable. "Selfish" he repeated icily.  
  
"Yes! That's EXACTLY how I would describe you! It seems you have no idea about the amount of stress I am undergoing right now, and I've hardly started! I can't even imagine what the next few weeks are going to be like!" Misty paused to catch her breath. "In fact, compared to everything else, you seem to be nothing but a burden to me."  
  
"WHAT?!" Ash yelled. "After 2 years I suddenly become a burden?" he asked in shocked anger.  
  
"It seems all you ever wanna do is see me, be with me, let the world know that I'm yours, get in the way of my studies..." It wasn't far from the truth. Ash had noticed the other guys' stares and, as a result, had become extremely protective of her.  
  
Ash shook her head, although she couldn't see. "Fine. I'm a burden. So now I am officially lifting myself off your shoulders" he announced bitterly.  
  
Misty went quiet. "Ash, just give me a couple of weeks to get this essay out of the way, and this overtime done..."  
  
"No no no! I get the picture Mist. I'm too much of a burden for you to handle" Ash said sarcastically.   
  
Misty felt angry tears flooding her eyes. If only he wasn't so selfish, sensitive, possesive...but he was. And it was getting to her a lot lately. "Glad to see I at least got that through you" she shot back.  
  
Ash was furious. "See ya Misty. Good luck with your millions of essays" he sneered coldly.  
  
"Bastard!" Misty screamed and hastily switched her cellphone off, averting the stares of curious college students. She angrily thought about him as she collected her books. He didn't understand her at all. How come she didn't see it earlier? She was like a foreign language to him, even though it should've been easy to see she was stressed - and with good cause too.  
  
Back at her dorm, Misty instantly found the spare key to her dorm had been pushed under the door. Ash had returned it. But she didn't feel sad or remorseful at all. Just angry that he could be intelligent enough to earn a University and at the same time be incredibly dense about the simple aspects of life.  
  
Such as stress, Misty thought, picking up the phone. She called her sisters at the Cerulean Gym to regretfully inform them that she wouldn't be visiting after all. Daisy, Violet and Lily, who had miraculously matured over the years, were shattered by the news, and made her promise that she would visit at the end of the semester.  
  
Misty hung up the phone with a sigh that said more than words ever could. As she climbed into bed, she was convincing herself of something...  
  
Yes. Things would get better.  
  
*******  
  
Three weeks later the news of Ash and Misty's sudden breakup was still running hot around the men of the campus. Misty was finding her workload almost intolerable, and found herself mostly glad that Ash was not niggling at her on the side. Still...it was weird to come home from work without being swept up in his arms as he proclaimed, "Greet me with kisses if you love me!"  
  
On the other side of things, Ash still stung from the words Misty had dished out to him three weeks ago - burden, selfish...bastard...  
  
He tried not to think about her as he lay in bed, tossing and turning. His own workload at Uni was increasing. No doubt he would've found it incredibly difficult to focus if he had a job.  
  
Brock and Sophie had tried on numerous occassions to talk to Ash and Misty seperatly, but they both hastily snapped "It's over" and changed the subject.  
  
"What are we gonna do about them, Brock?" Sophie asked worridly, as they sat in the lounge of her flat.   
  
Brock sighed. "I dunno, Soph. Maybe this is really it for them. They've had their spats, but they've never gone on for more then a week..." His voice trailed off and Sophie grasped his hand.  
  
"But they're meant for each other" she insisted, leaning against his shoulder.  
  
"Sophie, don't worry about them. They have their own lives to lead. And so do we, so let's get ready for this party!" Brock announced, helping her off the couch. Friday nights were party nights - a well kept Uni tradition.  
  
Misty, upon the insistance of her friends, was finally about to let loose by going to this party. She was well over halfway with her essay now, and wasn't required to work Friday evenings.  
  
She had just finished applying her lipstick when her dorm door was knocked on. "Coming!" she yelled, knowing who it was. She had been on one 'friendly' date with Jeff, who was a year older than herself.  
  
"Hi Misty. You look stunning!" Jeff greeted her warmly. Misty could feel herself blushing and quickly locked her dorm up, taking his arm for him to lead the way.  
  
The party was in a flat across the road from campus and it wouldn't have taken a bypasser long to figure out that a student party was well underway. Cars lined the street, music was pumping, and empty alcohol bottles were littering the front lawn as their contents were consumed and then carelessly thrown out the window.  
  
Misty shudderd at the bottles. Her last experience with alcohol had not been pleasant. In fact, it had ended up with her head over a toilet bowel for half an hour with Ash rubbing her back in an effort to comfort her. This, she vowed, would not happen tonight.  
  
"Misty!" She looked over to where the voice had come from and enveloped Sophie and Brock in hugs.  
  
"I haven't seen you two in so long!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Sooo much work" Sophie groaned, rolling her eyes. Misty nodded knowingly. Sophie's job as a fashion designer was way more demanding than people took it for. "Hi Jeff" Sophie said politly. Jeff smiled and discreetly asked Misty if she wanted to dance.  
  
"Of course!" she replied enthusiastically. It had seemed like light years since she had last dance, but you wouldn't know it. She looked extremely relaxed in Jeff's arms, and Sophie sighed angrily.  
  
"It's hopeless. She's over him." Brock was secretly relieved that Sophie had come to terms with it, and was about to lead her to the 'dancefloor' when he felt a tap at his shoulder.   
  
"Hey Ash!" Brock yelled as they high-fived. Sophie groaned at the display of male immaturity, and suddenly realised - Misty was here, in the same room as Ash, dancing with another guy who was now holding her close. Too close.  
  
"Hey Sophie, what are you looking so worried about?" Ash laughed. Sophie directed her gaze to floor and uncomfortably indicated Jeff and Misty, who seemed to be totally absorbed in each other.   
  
Ash looked over and his face considerably paled. He hadn't expected her to be here. If he had he wouldn't have come. His first instinct was to charge over and punch the living daylights out of Jeff. But instead he found himself walking calmly over.  
  
Misty was slowly swaying with Jeff, even though the music in the background was hardcore techno. She just loved the feel of being in someone's arms.  
  
"Misty." The harsh tone in someone saying her name brought her out of Jeff's embrace, and the sight of Ash made her heart fall ten stories. "What happened to you over-exerting workload?" he asked bitterly.  
  
"Hey man, leave her alone" Jeff said defensively. He was not about to have his chance with Misty ruined by her ex.  
  
Ash shot daggers into his eyes and turned back to Misty. "Well? Come on Mist, I asked you a question."  
  
"For God's sake Ash, this is my first night out in three weeks!" Misty exclaimed loudly over the music.  
  
"So obviously he's not a burden to you then" Ash said harshly.  
  
"No, as a matter of fact, he's not. He's actually willing to let me do my work" Misty said sarcastically.  
  
"Suppose it's pretty serious then, huh?" Ash muttered.  
  
"That's none of your business! We broke up, Ash! We have seperate lives now!" Misty yelled. "Leave me alone!"  
  
Ash shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe how much of a little bitch you've quickly become." Misty's eyes went wide at the statement and without furthur ado, smacked him hard across the face. He reeled from the unexpected hard impact of it and speechlessly watched her run out of the room.  
  
Brock and Sophie came running over to where Ash and Jeff were now glaring at each other from a short distance.  
  
"Ash, do you know how incredibly stupid you can be sometimes?" Brock yelled at his long-time friend. Ash didn't respond, so Brock grabbed his collar and dragged him to an unoccupied lounge, while Sophie went on the trail of Misty.  
  
"Don't call me stupid!" Ash snapped. "I meant what I said!"  
  
"Oh really? You meant she was a little bitch for having an uncontrollable workload? For having a boyfriend who wouldn't give her breathing space? Sure Ash, what a bitch" Brock said sarcastically.  
  
Ash paused. "I was just worried that someone else would get her..."  
  
Brock nodded. "I understand that. She's beautiful in more ways than one. But she can't be by your side every minute of every day. She was simply trying to get it through to you that she needed to start an essay." He sighed. "I can't believe all this started with a damn essay" he mumbled.  
  
"It was more than the essay, Brock. I loved her. I still do" Ash explained. "I just...I never wanted her to be seen with another single male. It was, I dunno, dangerous I suppose."  
  
"Well if you love her, why don't you start acting like it? Listen to her, Ash. That's all she's asking of you. Just to listen and absorb and understand what she's going through." With those words, Brock left the room for Ash to think to himself.  
  
Meanwhile, Misty had run out to an upstairs balcony, where she was now crying for all Ash had once been worth to her. She didn't hear footsteps approaching her until someone embraced her in a comforting hug.  
  
"Misty" Sophie started. "He didn't mean that. You know he didn't. He just got upset that you were with another guy."  
  
"But he shouldn't be! We broke up!" Misty pointed out.  
  
Sophie pulled away from her. "Yeah, I know. But you know why he's acting like this, right?"  
  
Misty nodded. "Yeah. He hates me."  
  
Sophie smiled. "No, quite the opposite Misty. He loves you. He loves you more than anything he's ever come across before. It's in his eyes."  
  
"What?" Misty asked. "That can't be. Ash called me a bitch, that's sure loving of him" she spat out.  
  
"But don't you see? He did it because he wanted to defend you! He wanted to get ya back, he still loves you! He's just angry it ended so suddenly, and over something so pathetically stupid" Sophie rolled her eyes. "He most definetly loves you. Talk to him, you'll see. I promise you he still loves you" she insisted.  
  
Misty hesitated. "Thanks Sophie. You get back to Brock, I know he worries about you" she laughed.  
  
Sophie laughed with her. "I'll see ya in there. Don't worry Mist. Things will turn out the way they should, whatever the outcome." Misty smiled as she watched her friend leave, and turned back to the night sky. Had the techno music downstairs been turned off, it would've been a tranquil night that was laced with romance.  
  
"Is it safe to approach you?" Misty whirled around at the voice and found Ash looking at her, hands in pockets, uncomfortably scuffing his shoes.  
  
She shrugged. "Depends what you have to say to me" she said, totally aloof, and turning back to the railing she was leaning her elbows against. Ash walked beside her and did the same, looking out into Celadon City at night.  
  
"What if I have sorry to say to you?" he asked cautiously. Misty subtly flinched at the question and turned to him with blazing eyes.  
  
"Oh, so I suppose it's one word and everything's back to normal, thanks a lot Ash, I feel so much better now" she hissed, still not taking her eyes off him. She always found herself drowning in his eyes, no matter how angry or upset she was.  
  
Ash sighed. "Of course not, Mist. I was a jerk. I was a MAJOR jerk. A downright bastard, as you said earlier." There was another pause before Ash spoke again. "Oh to hell with it...Misty, I'm so sorry. I can never, ever take back what happened between us three weeks ago, but if I could, I would without hesitation."  
  
Misty cocked her head thoughtfully. "I just need you to understand me, Ash. Just listen to me and hear what I have to say before you jump to conclusions."  
  
Ash smiled. They were almost the exact words Brock had said to him earlier. "I can do that. If you want me back. Because I love you, Misty. I have for ten years."  
  
"Ten years?" Misty asked. "We only went out for two" she pointed out.  
  
"Yeah...but that doesn't mean to say I didn't love you before we started going out. I loved you when you first fished me out of that river, when you constantly whacked me with your mallets, when you couldn't help but insult my training. I loved you through all of that" Ash confessed.  
  
Misty smiled through the tears that were formating in her eyes. "You know what, Ash? I could say the same thing back at you, because it would all be true." She silently wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and shyly looked up at him. "Ash Ketchum, I love you. Just...promise we can have a little breathing space now and then" she grinned.  
  
Ash put his hand to his heart as a sign of promise and the both laughed, before everything around them melted in a single kiss. And that was one kiss neither of them wanted to have breathing space from.   
  
  
A/N: Yay, my first story in ages! Sorry it sucks, but please review it, I know there are many other stories out like this where the characters are at Uni/College/school but this was just written, okay? It's late, I'm tired, gimme a review! o^_^o 


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